- author, Ruth Comerford
- Role, bbc news
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Parts of the UK are set to experience the hottest day of the year on Tuesday, potentially bringing with it an official heatwave.
Temperatures are expected to reach 32C (90C) in parts of southeast England.
The Met Office said some parts of England and Wales could reach heatwave standards at a later date.
But it may be short-lived – later this week the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms across much of both countries.
The UK Health and Safety Authority (UKHSA) has issued a yellow fever health alert for all areas of England except the North East and North West.
This is the second of four alert levels (below amber and red), which means the heat is “unlikely to affect most people” but may affect the elderly and vulnerable.
UKHSA warned that hot weather could lead to “a possible increase in mortality among the population, particularly in the over-65s age group or those with existing health conditions, but the effects may also be seen in younger age groups”.
It also warned that demand for remote healthcare services could increase and internal temperatures in hospitals and nursing homes could become too high for clinical risk assessments.
BBC Weather says temperatures will be four to five degrees above average in many parts of the country for this time in July.
In a post on ) with a temperature of only 4.9 degrees Celsius.
Is this a heat wave?
The Met Office defines a heatwave in the UK as “where daily maximum temperatures recorded at or above the heatwave temperature threshold are recorded for at least three consecutive days at a location”.
On Tuesday, some places may hit the mark.
In the London area, the threshold is 28 degrees Celsius. Temperatures of 25C were recorded in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and much of northern and western England.
If temperatures don't hit 25C anywhere in Scotland on Tuesday, it will be the first July since 2010 where temperatures haven't reached that level.
Dry weather is expected to end in much of the country on Thursday, when a Met Office yellow warning for heavy rain and thunderstorms comes into force.
The thunderstorm warning starts at 12:00 noon on Thursday and ends at 23:59.
Much of southern England, the Midlands, parts of Wales and much of northern England are covered by warnings warning that “lightning, hail and gusty winds” could cause some damage.
Warm weather will return on Friday, below heatwave standards, but temperatures will still be around 20C in many areas with showers.
The rest of the month is expected to be breezy in the northwest and dry and sunny in the southeast.
A broader period of stabilization is expected in mid-August.
